Parenting A Different Kind Of Experience
by XSketch
Summary: An afternoon of mush in the slush.


CATEGORY: MSR. massive white balls of powdery fluff  
SPOILERS: Brand X, Three Words, The Truth  
FEEDBACK: Yes please!  
DISCLAIMER: _:sigh_: Still not mine, which I guess means everything you recognise from the show belongs to CC, 1013, Fox, yadda yadda yadda - no copyright infringement intended.  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a pretty pointless follow up to 'There's A Different Kind Of Hush' which was part three in the unintentional 'Different Kinds' series. The only excuse I have for writing it is it was snowing outside and it just got my muse ticking over enough to hammer this out LOL

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White powder cracked and crunched as size twelve boots carefully made their way up the blanketed trail from the bay. Breath froze in the air, and Fox Mulder had to pause to cough and clear his weakened chest as the frigid temperature caused havoc on his fluid-filled lungs. God he hated winter and how old it made his body feel, but if it were up to Doctor Scully he'd be locked indoors the whole season, and the thought of not being allowed to make the annual Mulder Family snowman with his growing son was unacceptable, so he just tried to grin and bear it.

"--told you not to overdo it! Have you got your puffer?"

He blinked and frowned at the numbness down the left side of his face, only just realising that he must have blacked out and slumped on top of the large snowball he'd pushed up the hill. At the sound of his wife's voice, he blinked yet again and then straightened up. It had been seven years since those damn tobacco beetles had had an almost fatal party in his lungs! Why couldn't his body learn to compensate when he was short of breath? Why didn't his lungs just get their act together and start cutting him a little slack again?

"I'm fine," Mulder wheezed, reaching in his coat pocket nevertheless and pulling out an inhaler.

Dana Scully frowned, totally unconvinced.

"And don't say anything!" he quickly continued when he saw her mouth open to object. "You're a fine one to talk! An eight-and-a-half months pregnant woman running around in the snow, starting snowball fights with any five-year-old kids or defenceless partners you see?" He glared pointedly at her swollen abdomen. "Although..." He paused, leaned forward and wiped away the wet flakes that had started to gather on the end of her red nose with his lips. "The ice fairy look is pretty hot on you."

Her eyes rolled as his lips burned a trail down to her own mouth. She couldn't resist returning the gesture though when he finally reached his target.

"Only you could think about third-trimester nookie while we're out in minus-ten degree weather," she groaned, intending it to be a scowl but annoyed when it sounded needy.

"'Nookie'? Did I mention nookie? I think not, fair maiden!" Another coughing spell struck, and he quickly waved her off when she moved to guide him back to their house. Another puff on the inhaler and he was well enough to finish his sentence. "All I was trying to point out is that you are not exactly the best person to criticise on who is the healthiest to be out here."

With a reluctant grumble, Scully shook her head and then moved to help him push the large ball of ice to where a smaller one and their son were impatiently waiting.

This was their fourth winter at the large house in Freesol, Washington, but as William - and even they - grew and learnt new things, each one was a whole new experience.

That, and of course there was Dana's second pregnancy to take into consideration.

A pregnancy that Mulder had actually been able to go through with her this time and observe every little change between stages of development.

A pregnancy that had taught him that making fun of a morning-sickness-ridden or swollen-ankle-infected woman - especially when it's your child she's carrying - is a big no-no.

A pregnancy that had proven to him just how horny women with buns in the oven could get.

These things were what made this possibly the greatest experience of his life.

"I'm happy to talk about nookie with you if you really want, though," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her as the bottom part of their snowman was rolled into place.

William looked up at his parents with a mischievous grin as they stopped in front of him, and then - without warning - sharply lifted both hands into the air, and the next thing they knew, each adult was pelted by a snowball. At their shocked faces, the boy began to giggle uncontrollably. Despite several cautions by them not to use his 'abilities' to read their minds, Will had witnessed enough as he'd grown, and especially since they'd started making regular trips to speak with that Marita woman each month, to know that silly, joyous moments such as this were like gold, and in his own childish justification, that meant he needed to sneak in as many snowballs and reasons for laughter as possible.

"You little rascal!" Mulder exclaimed, bending down to scoop up a large handful of powdery ice.

"Mulder, don't encourage him!"

"I was only playing, Mom--"

The five-year-old was cut short as a snowball struck him. Mulder looked up at the clipped sentence, but yelped in surprise as frozen water splashed against the back of his neck and swiftly trickled its way down his back. It was the guilty Scully's turn to burst into a fit of laughter. Mouth agape, Mulder quickly raised the lump of snow he'd managed to collect and was about to throw it back at his partner when she suddenly squealed excitedly and waddled off as quickly as her legs would allow in the opposite direction.

"Encourage him, will I?" he teased, starting to chase after her - the snowball held high above his head. "Me?"

"I was only getting you back!" came her reply.

"Get her, Daddy!"

"Don't..." Wheeze. "...you...worry, kiddo..." Cough. "I'll get her..." Splutter. "...good..."

Unable to stop giggling but a little concerned about how much Mulder may be pushing himself, Scully glanced over her shoulder. At some point she lost her footing, though, and she tripped, twisting and only just managing to stop herself from landing directly on her pregnant bulge. Her partner slipped also and almost fell on top of her, but his hands outstretched and his hands and knees slapped down on the ground first - his long, steady arms holding him up to hover over her still-snickering form.

"You can get her now, Daddy!" William excitedly cheered, bouncing on the spot where they'd left him.

Mulder grinned and then quietly sobered as he slowly lowered himself down onto his elbows. "I think I got her already," he sighed contentedly so that only his partner could hear as he rested the side of his head against her stomach. " I got you all." He held his breath and listened intently to the very faint rumblings of movement emanating from beneath the clothes and skin covering her abdomen, and then let the air whoosh back out as he felt their unborn daughter give a healthy, hearty kick at her mother's insides.

"I wish..." He paused and swallowed hard. He'd been there for the final two months of her last pregnancy, but he hadn't dared to touch her or even ask if he could. Now he had full access and it was a little too overwhelming. "I wish I'd been there last time."

The fingers that had been combing gently through his hair whilst he'd been too enthralled by the contents of her womb to notice came to a stop and Scully lifted her head as much as she could in her position. "You were," she countered, puzzled.

"No, I wasn't. Not from the start and...when I did come back I was barely even myself...I was so afraid to even breath near you in case you ran away."

"You're here now. Surely that's all that should matter?"

He snatched in another breath, but let it slowly back out straight after. How did she always know the right words to say to soothe his soul?

"But I missed so much..."

"You're here now," she repeated, pulling him up so that she could kiss his face. "You got us good, and you're gaining new experiences at the same time - special two for one offer."

"Our own kind of experiences..." he mused, nodding his head a little.

"Come on! Wanna finish Frosty!" William suddenly called out from behind where they lay in each other's embrace. "No more mushy in slushy."

Mulder glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to stare into his partner's blue eyes for a moment longer. "I really got you?" he asked, unable to contain the smile lifting his cheeks.

"Always."

"Good." He began to rise, but before his second hand left the ground, the first swiftly scooped up and sprayed Scully with snow. "See, kiddo? I did get her!"

"Yay!" William jumped into the air and then started to run around doing an airplane impersonation. "My dad's the best!"

"Ohhh no you don't!" Scully exclaimed, waving Mulder's offered hand away when she tried to get up, but eventually realising she didn't really have a choice in the matter and reluctantly accepted it. "You're in for it now - I had two brothers who taught me well on how to defend myself in a snow fight!"'

"Run, son, while you've still got the chance! I'll protect you!" Mulder chuckled, refusing to step out of the short redhead's space. "Anything taught by big bad Uncle Bill can't be good at all!"

Their cheers and whoops and excited squeals echoed in the air as the afternoon wore on. By the time they entered the house as the sun began to set, Frosty had been made, and their thick layers of clothing were soaked through. And, in some way - just as every other day in their lives - today's fun in the snow had changed them slightly. Thanks to those few hours of fun, play and happiness compared to the worry, tension and serious arrangements that had been heating up to prepare for rebellion against the ever-nearing date of colonisation, they're new people.

And for that they'll always be grateful.

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THE END


End file.
